ATTENDEES: Designated HMIS users, only. Calendar appointment reminders have been sent. Attendees must arrive on time, and turn off all electronic devices. Attendees that are late or using electronic devices may be asked to leave.

Establish an order of priority for dedicated and prioritized PSH beds which CoCs are encouraged to adopt in order to ensure that those persons with the most severe service needs are given first priority.

Inform the selection process for PSH assistance not dedicated or prioritized for chronic homelessness to prioritize persons who do not yet meet the definition of chronic homelessness but are most at risk of becoming chronically homeless.

Provide uniform recordkeeping requirements for all recipients of CoC Program-funded PSH for documenting chronically homeless status of program participants when required to do so as well as provide guidance on recommended documentation standards that CoCs may require of its recipients of CoC Program-funded PSH if the priorities included in the Notice are adopted by the CoC.

If you have questions regarding this Notice, please submit your questions to the HUD Exchange Ask A Question (AAQ) portal. To submit a question to the AAQ portal, select CoC Program from the “My question is related to” drop down list on Step 2 of the question submission process.

SAMHSA is the agency within HHS that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the Nation. Our mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

This strategic plan outlines work to increase the awareness and improve understanding about mental and substance use disorders; promote emotional health and wellness, and the prevention of substance abuse and mental illness; increase access to effective treatment; and support recovery. An important component of the plan is to prioritize six Strategic Initiatives and the linkages between these initiatives and SAMHSA's policy, programmatic, and financial planning. At its core, this plan offers a framework for common categories of initiatives that enables cross-collaboration and organization of SAMHSA's work.

SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) is a federal initiative that expedites and improves access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and diagnosed with a mental illness and/or co-occurring disorder. These programs, administered by the Social Security Administration, provide income and access to health insurance for individuals that are unable to work due to medical and/or psychiatric conditions.

The application process is complex and difficult to navigate. Through effective partnerships, technical assistance and training, the SOAR Initiative aims to increase the amount of applications and approvals for vulnerable individuals. For more information about SOAR visit

Congratulations to Baltimore City which has just received its 300th SOAR approval! What a wonderful achievement! As of the end of June 2014, Maryland had over 750 decisional SOAR cases. As a state our overall approval rate is 81% (compared with the current SOAR national average of 65%). In FY 2014, 87% of all initial SOAR claims were approved in just 73 days!

Charles County

We are delighted that Charles County is the latest jurisdiction to implement SOAR and we are very excited to have them on board!

Mental Hygiene Administration and Alcohol and Drug Abuse Administration formally merged on July 1, 2014 to become the Behavioral Health Administration.

The Behavioral Health Administration is responsible for oversight of Public Behavioral Health services for those who have mental illness, substance use disorders, and co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders. This much welcomed integration will enhance service provision for those who we serve and provide opportunities to expand the work of SOAR.

On Friday, June 20, 2014, over 75 SOAR providers and partners gathered together to participate in Maryland's first-ever SOAR conference! The day featured presentations and breakout sessions on SOAR related topics such as SOAR and housing, employment after SOAR, understanding the appeal process, Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act, writing effective Medical Summary Reports (MSRs) integrating SOAR into everyday roles and responsibilities, as well as a question and answer session with representatives from Social Security Administration and Disability Determination Services.

For many participants one of the highlights of the conference was hearing two individuals who received SOAR services share their stories of working through the Social Security process, and their personal struggles and successes. The powerful stories offered a glimpse into the journeys of these two amazing gentleman and how SOAR not only assisted in accessing the benefits they needed, but helped them to realize their ability to contribute to our community and find meaning and purpose. As one participant commented, "The personal stories by the two gentlemen were very moving and for me encouraged higher commitment to the SOAR process".

The conference was also an opportunity to recognize the efforts and achievements of all those involved in Maryland's SOAR Initiative past and present. As part of this, the Mental Hygiene Administration presented the following awards:

The day was a huge success. Special thanks to Caroline Mason, Kimberlee Schultz, Margaret Flanagan, Amy Baker and Jen Elder for all their hard work as members of the planning committee.

Benefit Verification Letters

Previously, the Social Security Administration (SSA) had stated that it would stop providing benefit verification letters at local field offices from October 2014. However, on July 17, 2014, it was announced that local Social Security offices will continue to provide benefit verification letters until further notice.

That being said, wherever possible SSA is strongly encouraging individuals to obtain such information by creating a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

SOAR Pro-Tips

There is a tremendous amount of expertise in the Maryland SOAR community.

SOAR expert Bilqis Rock of Health Care for the Homeless in Baltimore has a 90% approval rate. Her number one tip when writing a MSR is "If you are having trouble gathering information from an individual, re-frame the question and provide concrete examples for the individual so they have an idea of what information to provide. For example, when asking 'can you cook' often the person will answer 'yes'. However, this does not get to the meat of the issue. Re-frame the question, 'what foods do you cook?' or even be more specific 'do you use the microwave or stove when you cook?' The person will be able to give more concrete examples to these questions."

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